Sucker-rod hanger



' J. E. HITCHCOCK SUCKER ROD HANGER Filed NOV. 17, 1924 ATTQQ/YEY Patented May 25, 1926.

JAMES E. HITCHCOCK, OF TORBLNCE, CALIFORNIA.

' STICKER-BOD HANGER;

Application filed November 17, 1924. Serial No. 750,824.

My present invention is referred to as a sucker rod hanger, for the reason, that although this device may be used in various connections, it is a primary object of this invention to provide meansfor the support of the comparatively long sections or stands of sucker rod within an oil well derrick, or the like.

Incidentally to the withdrawal of a string of tubing from a producing well, it is customary to separate the string into comparatively long stands, which are ordinarily elevated into and supported by the derrick frame. As each section or stand of tubing is separated, some disposition must be made of the sucker rod WhlCll has previously extended throu h the same. It has been common to lay t e sections or stands of sucker rod upon the ground; but in this position they are liable to accidental damage, and it v has accordingly been proposed to employ .a

' ed automatically to separate grab hook for the en agement of the coupling upon the upper en of each sec tion or stand of rod, thereby holding the same separately in anupright position, in a manner somewhat similar to the mentioned disposal of stands of pipe or tubing. It is an object of this invention to improve upon the last mentioned method of supportin sections or stands of rod; and a preferre embodiment of my invention may comprise means for separately supporting a'considerable number of rods or rod sections from a single intermediate element suspended frollin a primary support at the top of a der- 11C It is a further object of this invention to provide a swivel or rotativeconnection at some point between a primary support and a circular plate, or the like, with which a plurality of rod grabs may be flexibly connected.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved type of rod grab; and each of my grabs may comprise a,coo erating pair of roughened elements, easi y engageable or disengageable, which are adaptfgrip even a smooth 1ntermediate portion 0 a rod, or the like.

Other ob ects of my invention will a pear from the following description of an a van tageous embodiment thereof, taken inconnection with the appended claims and the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is an elevational view,- with parts broken away, showing the general manner man remaining in a suitab in which my invention may be used in the supporti'n of sucker rods, or the like.

1g. 2 1s a vertical sectional view on an enlarged scale, showing a preferred type of grab, a preferred ty e of intermediate element, and referre types .of connecting and mterme iate elements.

Fig. 3 is a separate elevatlonal view of a single rod rab, showing in full lines the relative positions which parts may occupy at the'time when a rod is being en aged or disengaged, dotted lines being. emp oyed to show the same parts in a gripping position. Fig. .4 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially as indicated by the line 4-4 in Fig.1.

Re erring to the details of that specific embodiment of my invention chosen for pursea of illustration, 11 being a derrick rame, or the like, of which atop element 12'may be adapted to serve as a primary support, each sectionof rod, as it is removed from awell, may be carried as by an elevator, not shown, to substantially the position indicated at 13- in Fig. 1; and, upon its arrival at this elevated position, a worktion may insert the same between a pair of cooperating engaging elements 14, 14 serving as open jaws and shown as supported upon the free end of a bent bar 15, consti 'tuting the body ofvan'individual grab, in 'such manner as to admit a red by a lateral relative movement.

Althou h abs' of the general character illustrate might be individually supported, as by means of chains or other flexible fastening elements extending separately to the primary su port '12, or its equivalent, I consider it a vantageous to employ separate fastening chains 16, which may be secured at their lower ends to the respective grabs, asby' means. of eyes, 17, the upper end of each chain being shown as secured by an eye-bolt 18 to a disc-like intermediate suprting element 19, which may be in the one of a substantially circular late adapted'to carry a considerable num r, as, for examplga 50' grabs of the general character descr these being shown as open-jaw grabs attached in concentric rows.

The intermediate support 19, or its equivy elevated posialent, ma 'be connected to the primary support, as y a swivel o r rotative connection comprising a ball bean port. The connecting hook 29, or its equivalent, may be supported directly from a primary support, or it may be suspended therefrom by means such as a chain or other loop 22; and means such as a cord 23, preferably extending through an eye 24, may be.

employed to prevent an accidental displace ment of the hook 21, or its equivalent, from the chain 22. v

The mentioned rod engaging elements 14, 14 may be of any preferred character; but

I prefer to provide these elements shown assubstantially circular in cross-sectional outline, with slightly concave corrugated lateral surfaces and to mount the same eccentricallybut rotativel upon pins 25, 25', or their equivalent, an to s ace the said engaging elements apart su ciently to permit the free insertion of a rod 26, therebetween. The weight of the rod may then be effective to cause a grip ing engagement thereof, substantially as 1 lustrated by dotted lines in Fig. 3.

It Will be obvious that, in the use of an organization of the general description described, the engagement of each rod is direct and independent of any contact between the grab and anv coupling element upon the end I of the rod .v Each rod may be readily brought into a position of engagement by a lateral movement, and may be promptly gripped, without requiring to be manually levelled. The freedom of rotative movement of the intermediate support 19, shown to facilitate and expedite the handling of sucker rods, or the like; and means such as a chain 28 may be employed to secure an entire bundle of rods in an out of the way position.

Although'I have herein described a single complete embodiment of my invention, it

will be understood that various featuresthereofmight be independently employed,

grabs 211K and that also various modifications might be made, by those skilled in the art to which this case relates, without the slightest departure from the spirit and scope of my invention, as the same is indicated above and in the following claims.

I claimas my invention:

1. A hanger for rods, or the like, comprising; a disc-like intermediate element provided with means for connecting the same to a primary support and having an uninterrupted ed e; a plurality of open jaw rod I flexible means below said disclike element for securing said grabs separately to said intermediate element while permitting relative movement therebetween.

2. In a hanger as defined in claim 1, connecting means in the form of an open book provided with an eye.

3. In a hanger as defined in claim 1, in which said intermediate element has the form of a plate ada ted to support a plurality of grabs suspen ed therefrom in separate rows.

4. In a hanger as defined in claim 1, in which said intermediate element has the form of a plate supported between a collar and a bearing on said connecting means and carrying a plurality of rows of eye-bolts to which open-jaw grabs are secured by flexible means.

5. In a hanger as defined in claim 1, an open-jaw grab comprising a pair of cooperating eccentric roughened engaging elements substantially circular in cross-sectional outline and rotatively mounted on projecting pins.

(i. In a hanger as defined in claim 1, an

open-jaw grab comprising a pair of coo crating roughened en aging elements su stantially'circularvin ross sectional outline and 'rotatively and eccentrica-lly mounted on pins on a bent bar provided with flexible means for its attachment.

.7. In a hanger as defined in claim 1, an open jaw grab comprising a pair of cooperating roughened engaging elements centrally concaved' and rotatively mounted; a plurality of grabs being flexibly secured beneath an intermediate plate also rotatively mounted. I In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles, California, this 10th day of November, 1924.

J AMES E. HITCHCOCK. 

